{"product_id":"bodega-stories-9780813081595","title":"Bodega Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA window into a Dominican family's bodega and the community at its heart\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA bodega is much more than a neighborhood grocery store--it's a lifeline to community and culture. In \u003ci\u003eBodega Stories\u003c\/i\u003e, Amaris Castillo takes readers inside Orlando Latin Market, a bodega owned and operated by her parents in St. Petersburg, Florida, to reveal a thriving local hub that bridges generations, languages, and traditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeet the regulars: Castillo's glamorous Tía Margarita, who has worked part-time at the bodega for years; longtime cook Alberto, who arrives early to prepare the store's rice, beans, empanadas, and croquetas; Chico, the owner of the barbershop next door; and Esther, who visits after church every Sunday for her crispy chicharrones. Through captivating and charming true stories of visitors who come looking for products from Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Venezuela, Cuba, and many other countries, readers get a glimpse into the lives of employees and customers as they navigate matters of immigration, love, history, food, and identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInterwoven are snapshots of daily life, like a bulletin board outside the store where local residents post apartments for rent, messages through the bodega's Facebook page asking for hard-to-find items, and photos from the past and present. Including Castillo's own family's story from the Dominican Republic to New York to Florida, \u003ci\u003eBodega Stories\u003c\/i\u003e is a portrait of finding home--between the cultures we inherit and the ones we embrace.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Amaris Castillo\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University Press of Florida\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/08\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.75lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.43h x 5.64w x 0.77d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780813081595\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/0001\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAmaris Castillo\u003c\/b\u003e is a Brooklyn native and daughter of Dominican immigrants. A former newspaper reporter, her work has appeared in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLowell Sun\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBradenton Herald\u003c\/i\u003e, and elsewhere. She currently works at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and lives in the Tampa Bay area with her family. \u003ci\u003eBodega Stories\u003c\/i\u003e is her debut.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Amaris Castillo \/ Paperback \/ English","offer_id":48912764469405,"sku":"9780813081595","price":33.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_24fb6561-4a45-4636-b9e5-322324e7c8df.jpg?v=1789547030","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/bodega-stories-9780813081595","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}